2007 Acura MDX Sport

First Place: Eight Tickets to Paradise

In comparison tests, it sometimes happens that the winner on paper -- the vehicle with the superior test-track numbers -- isn't the winner on public roads. Readers never fail to remind us of this, usually in letters that begin, "Dear Morons."

You'll be happy to know that this second-gen Acura MDX -- which still sounds to us like a medical condition -- was victorious almost everywhere it poked its gaudy grille. Check it out: Greatest skidpad grip. Highest lane-change speed. Second-quickest sprint to 60 mph. Best driving position. Best back-seat comfort. Lightest curb weight. Steering and brake feel that were tied with the BMW's. A ride as cushy as the Benz's. And a fun-to-drive rating equaled only by the Cadillac's. All of that for the lowest as-tested price.

On the freeway, even pushed by icy 30-knot sidewinds, the MDX tracked like an S-class Benz, with the sort of on-center feel you'd expect from an Audi. In turns, it took a firm and true set, requiring no midcourse corrections, always whispering to its driver, "Go ahead and nail it, chief -- I may look like an SUV, but I'm actually a 300-hp wagon."

Don't get us wrong, the MDX proved plenty practical. Behind the second seat there's more cargo space than you'll find in the gigantic Land Rover, in part because this is the widest SUV in the group. And the split-folding third-row seat comes standard, although it can be accessed from the curb side only.

Complaints? The center stack's 50 buttons and switches looked like something NASA would reject. The MDX has no low-range four-wheel drive or ride-height control, although the traction- and stability-control systems mitigated that oversight. And the somber wraparound dash felt constricting to some, although it was in keeping with the MDX's anti-ute mission.

On comparison tests, early pronouncements are discouraged. But only 370 miles into this test, the Acura's grace and charisma sparked four editors to write in its logbook, "Looks like we have a winner."